The hope for fan critics put all of their chips on Spider-Man: No Way Home, which seems naive, but leads to the question, is there a superhero comic that could be award worthy? Let’s first look at the situation and then past contenders. First, there seems to be backlash against the superhero movie genre. Then, look at films that did get serious award contention, winning awards are not the sole criteria, but it is the direction to create a more human drama. In 2018, the Radio Times asked actress/director Jodie Foster about the subject, she said, “It’s ruining the viewing habits of the American population and then ultimately the rest of the world.”
Let’s look closely at her comments though. She said she didn’t like “$200 million movies about superheroes” with CGI and “spectacle.” Unpacking that statement, the resistance is to big studio movies with special effects and what may be visual extravaganzas. So, are there comic book superheroes without those traits? No franchises of the Big Two, MCU or DC, and little to no special effects, i.e. superpowers like flying, super strength, or firing beams. There are comic books that have grounded heroes. The point is not to fit a mold, but to find some material that may have potential that is not part of the studio machines churning out simple, crowd pleasing movies. Black Panther (2018) was the MCU film that had a good chance for awards, it offered a fresh take on superhero films with powerful acting and epic level visuals, the only possible drawbacks were the amount of CG at the last battle and strong action picture scenes and resistance to these movies.
Black Panther and Aquaman costumes at FIDM, 2019, can there be quirky, audience pleasing movie like them?, photo by the author.
Foster finished by saying, “I feel like I make movies because there are things I have to say in order to figure out who I am or my place in the world, or for me to evolve as a person.” Which is the same sentiment I have for superhero moves, it all ends up with a final battle with a supervillain in the middle of a crowded area (i.e. heavy CGI scene), and says very little to the audience about what it is to be human, to have personal problems like every other person. Martin Scorsese, well known director, said of the MCU movies, “Honestly, the closest I can think of them, as well made as they are, with actors doing the best they can under the circumstances, is theme parks. It isn't the cinema of human beings trying to convey emotional psychological experiences to another human being.”
He was about to produce The Joker (2019), but left the film, so we are approaching that psychological level. Wildly popular, The Joker made $1.074 billion at the box office, had a Rotten Tomatoes score of 64%, and scored Joaquin Phoenix a best actor Oscar. This may be the high bar for awards and popularity. Also, recall that Heath Ledger also won an Oscar posthumously for best supporting actor for the same part in The Dark Knight (2009). It was from a major studio, Warner Bros., and had a $55 million budget. I don’t think only The Joker or a similar character can get award consideration for a comic book adaptation. We are looking at more of an independent comic book, but not a superhero comedy like Mystery Men (1999) based on the Bob Burden Flaming Carrot Comics.
In 2014, Alejandro Iñárritu co-wrote and directed Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). It had a $103.2 million box office, one of the studios that helped produce it was Fox Searchlight Pictures, and it had a budget of $16.5 million. Michael Keaton plays Riggan Thomson who starred in a 90’s superhero trilogy, the casting is obvious since Keaton was in Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992). So, we are on the right track, but of course Birdman is not a comic book adaptation, a thinly veiled one, but still not a direct adaptation. In both cases, the protagonist is filled with mental problems, in the case of Riggan, it is the voice of the Birdman character in his mind, wanting him to return to superhero films. Also, the world around them troubling the main characters. The other example would be Watchmen (2009) directed by Zack Snyder, but let’s not stray into Alan Moore territory.
I see the best chance of a possible award-winning superhero adaptation is a series called Twilight Guardian from Troy Hickman, winner of the Top Cow Pilot Season. It had a 2008 Pilot Season one-shot and a four issue series in 2011. The comic features a very normal hero a bit like Kick Ass (2010) directed by Matthew Vaughn and based on the Mark Millar comic book. Dave (Aaron Johnson) does have an accident that keeps him from feeling too much pain, the more extreme version was Sam Raimi’s Darkman (1990). The violence and content was popular, it made $96.2 million from a $30 million budget, but I see a more dramatic, psychological movie without the action movie violence. Twilight Guardian writes in journal about her night patrols. It turns out that she acts as a superhero as part of her possible OCD.
In the mini-series she finds out that the media has dubbed a person Dusk Devil hurting people in her patrol zone. She goes to a comic book convention, yes!, to meet with the The Real Super Hero Team of America and confesses to them her loneliness. Her father had brought her up on comic books, but left her. She finds that someone is watching her and also that a vendor has lost an expensive comic! Her uniform is just a black mask and hoodie. Twilight Guardian just carries around quarters to act as a sort of brass knuckles, and deer jerkey to escape from dogs and raccoons! Twilight Guardian is a likable hero, the writing is clever so she is relatable, but at it's base she is a very troubled woman. What is needed is a really strong script, I would bring in creator Troy Hickman as a producer, but I would bring in veteran comics writer, Gail Simone.
She has not written in the Twilight Guardian world, but has co-wrote the story for the Wonder Woman (2009) animated movie. Plus, she is writer on the possible Crosswind television series based on her comic book with artist Cat Staggs. If there is a film veteran writer needed maybe Christina Hodson who worked on Birds of Prey (2020) or Geneva Robertson-Dworet who worked on the Tomb Raider (2018) movie. Maybe a writer who is more known for dramas than action or comic book movies. If these writers can produce a very powerful and entertaining drama with a low budget, it could get attention with a studio like Lionsgate. So this could bring in an excellent dramatic director, hopefully with an independent director, plus key will be casting the lead, an unknown or a young actress known for dramatic parts. If the production process could produce a Twilight Guardian movie that is a strong drama, has a relatable hero, and maybe appeal to comic book audiences. This could be superhero film that may win awards!
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